Florida Airport Evacuates After A Bomb Threat
Terminal 1 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was temporarily evacuated on Sunday night following a reported bomb threat, causing departures to be delayed by just over an hour.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Evacuation
A Suspicious Report
The alarm was triggered at approximately 5:26 p.m. after an airline employee informed deputies of a suspicious comment from a traveler, Call the cops, I have a bomb in my bag. This led to Broward Sheriff's Office Airport District evacuating the upper level of Terminal 1 as a precautionary measure while the incident was thoroughly investigated.
The man who reportedly made the comment was identified as 27-year-old Tyler Baeder, a visitor from Rhode Island. According to authorities, Baeder had been experiencing difficulties using a check-in kiosk when he allegedly made the comment. The alarmed airline worker quickly notified the TSA who then contacted the sheriff's office.
Searching The Suspect's Belongings
A thorough search of Baeder's belongings was conducted by the bomb squad and threat management investigators, who later concluded the bomb threat to be a hoax.
Following the incident, Baeder was taken into custody and charged with false reporting concerning planting a bomb, explosive, or weapon of mass destruction and one count of resisting an officer without violence.
Disrupting Flights
The incident led to significant disruption to flight schedules, leaving some passengers at risk of missing their flights. Jadyna Seelye, one of the affected travelers, appealed for calm, I hope everybody just calms down and deals with the situation properly, she said.
Further updates on the incident were promised to be released as they became available, as stated by the Fort Lauderdale Airport Twitter account.
